An absolutely transformative result for criminal justice reform in Boston. Rachel Rollins ran by saying: "We need to end mass incarceration and restore justice in our communities."
She'll replace a DA who resisted reform. Let me quickly go over her platform.
She'll replace a DA who resisted reform. Let me quickly go over her platform.
Rollins ran on supporting repeal of mandatory minimums, on ending the use of cash bail for low-level offenses, and on increasing the use of diversion & restorative justice programs. She pledged to release demographic data relating to charging decisions.
Rollins released a list of lower-level offenses (incl. drug possession & disorderly conduct) that she'll adopt a default policy of not prosecuting. She'll either dismiss them or treat them as civil infractions. rollins4da.com/policy/charges…
And she says reform needs to go further:
And she says reform needs to go further:
On immigration: "If they see ICE... arresting someone in or near a courthouse, they are to call me, the DA, immediately. I will go to the federal courthouse and speak to the US Attorney about having that Suffolk County resident returned to Suffolk County." dadifference.org/wp-content/upl…
(I'll have more on this result, & the other DA races happening tonight in MA, in my next newsletter on the local politics of criminal justice reform—so if you got to this point of the thread & are interested, you should sign up! docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/…)
